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Whenever people design aquatic humanoids (be they mermaids or other ''mer-folk'' type creatures) that do not breath water with lungs but through gills i often see those gills placed either on the neck (throat) or on the chest (often roughly spaced out between the ribs).

What would seems the most biologically logical (as far as the entire concept can be considered logical anyway) place for gills to evolve on a humanoid creature, the neck/throat, on the chest or between the back (joints) of the lower jaw and the neck?

Blue Devil
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  • Does it have a tail, legs, flippers, lungs? Could you give us more to go on? Most logical to me would be in a trunk in the hallway, only seeing the light of day when I go on a diving holiday. Could you clarify what you mean? – Escaped dental patient. Jul 30 '22 at 09:04

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External gills. Axolotl style!

enter image description here

https://www.dkfindout.com/us/animals-and-nature/amphibians/axolotls/

The problem with neck gills is that you need water flowing thru your mouth and out the gills. And is a bad look for little Ariel to be swimming about with her mouth gaping open.

Better to have external gills that will flow about in the undersea breeze. That would be a much better look for Ariel!

ariel wth glls

Willk
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  • Until they get caught on something. – DKNguyen Jul 31 '22 at 06:09
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    @DKNguyen - well, creatures with important dangling organs get good at keeping them out of trouble. – Willk Jul 31 '22 at 18:14
  • @Willk Did you see that movie? Ariel and keeping out of trouble were mutually exclusive. The best thing about your design is that she might keep her mouth shut sometimes. Too harsh? Rewatch it! –  Aug 01 '22 at 06:55
  • Giving troubled teenage girls with behavioural problems dangling organs to fix their problems is inadvisable –  Aug 01 '22 at 07:01